“I needed a little flavor this morning! This did the trick! The Orange, Spice, and Vanilla Combo mesh well together and none of them are overpowering. The Black tea base is gentle but present. ...”
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“I must have sent a sample of this to someone, because it’s opened in my sample box. I forget who, but will look to see if anyone has reviewed this, after I review it myself. ;)
I’m in a...”
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The labeling on the container says “Imperial Black Tea: Orange Spice Blend”. Looking for this tea on Steepster, I saw Mellow Spice Blend #471 from Upton, which seems to be a similar product no longer available from their site.

It’s ok, unless you are/were a goth or hipster, or associate with them, or are so clove-obsessed that you need to get that clove fix to your bloodstream more quickly than ingesting, no one really does know about them.

the most i know about cloves is that they are used naturopathically to deaden nerves in the dermal layer (as well as the tongue apparently) in tiger balm. =0) and that it burns like a very rude word if you recklessly scrub your eyes after you apply it.

I needed a little flavor this morning! This did the trick! The Orange, Spice, and Vanilla Combo mesh well together and none of them are overpowering. The Black tea base is gentle but present. This is a nice one to have on hand. Pretty tasty, indeed!

I must have sent a sample of this to someone, because it’s opened in my sample box. I forget who, but will look to see if anyone has reviewed this, after I review it myself. ;)

I’m in a good mood today. Lots of sleep (even though I’m still fighting a cold), and my kids are signing me a song from The Sound of Music. My almost 6-year-old just belted out, “… when I’m feeling bad, I simply remember my favorite things, and then I don’t feel, so… bad….” And now he’s changing the words. “When the dog bites, when the pillow falls, when I’m feeling poopy…” Yep, it’s that kind of day at my house.

Onto the tea. This is a straightforward black that delivers what it sells. It’s got spice (clove is what I smell and taste), and then some orange, with a touch of creaminess. It’s better with Truvia. Simple, straightforward, yummy.

Heh. It’s a favorite word of his… and it’s hard for me not to laugh. He’s even cuter because he’s missing both top and bottom teeth on only the right side of his mouth, so his I-did-something-I-don’t-want-you-to-know-about-just-don’t-look-over-my-shoulder smile is even more hilarious.

Orange peel, vanilla bean and clove on a black tea. The black tea is well behaved in this blend (not bitter or overly strong). Having vanilla, I expected a creamier feel, but that’s not the case… I’m not getting vanilla, perhaps way in the background. The orange and clove are the basic flavorings here, and while I like clove more than orange, it’s an ok blend (personal preferences are clashing, nothing wrong with the tea). It has a mild spicy feel but not one that’s overpowering.

Preparation

I may need to try another cup of this one, before I write up a full tasting note… Today, the flavors seemed a little overwhelming, kind of sweet and artificial? I’m not sure. I don’t usually mind artificial flavors, so that seems odd. My taste buds were still waking up, so that could have been a factor. I noticed a lot of cinnamon (which tasted like cinnamon candies to me, and not like the plain spice, maybe because of the clove?). I tasted orange too, but it struck me as kind of syrupy. That said, this was still a tasty cup! It reminded me of Cinnamon Heart from David’sTEA, which I enjoy when I’m in the mood for it. I also like that they added vanilla. It made for a smoother tea, especially considering that this is a spice blend. I’ll have to try this one again!